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'Paint your Path' - an MEF event

- by Harshitha Kothapalli, edited by Ed Faruolo


The Milford Education Foundation recently partnered with the Milford Arts Council (MAC) and the Milford Boys and Girls Club to pilot their new program, Paint Your Path.


The summer camp was open to young learners and the main goal was to help inspire students to express their creativity and artistic skills. The program sessions were held on July 9, 11, 16, and 18 and went from 10:30 am to 12:00 noon.


“I liked this program because it gave a lot of kids an opportunity to express themselves and be creative in a way they probably wouldn’t get otherwise,” Natalia said. 


Kids were given the chance to work on creating their own artistic pieces that would not be displayed on a white canvas, but instead a plain skateboard, letting their imaginations grow wild. 


Artist Jose (Kiko) Hernandez who specializes in portraits, and is originally from Honduras was asked to come into the Boys and Girls Club in Milford to be a part of the program and be a mentor for all the students. 


“I started drawing in Honduras and went to art school there. I didn’t have access to different materials so I hoped to give these kids opportunities I didn’t have when I was younger,” Hernandez expressed 


Joining Kiko, another artist with the name John O'Grodnick came in to specialize in the craft of spray painting. You may recognize some of John’s work around Milford including the mural located at the Walnut Beach Firehouse Gallery. John emphasized, “I loved working with all the kids and helping to guide their creativity. Spray paint can have a bad rap and I like to change that as much as possible.”


The idea is rooted from being able to teach kids how to discover the importance of imagination and creativity that they can take through their lives.


Milford Education Foundation Vice President, Ed Faruolo, took this as a personal project, to find ways to engage  Milford’s future change makers by tapping into their inner innovative abilities. 


“ It’s very personal to me,” Faruolo explained. “Perhaps in a small way, kids will discover a talent they have that they didn’t know.”


The Director of Operations for the Milford Boys & Girls Club, Jill DeWerdt was excited to partner with the MEF and MAC to engage kids with the joining of the arts and sports. The program was able to reach out to more students by incorporating both skateboarding and artistic expression. 


“I hope the kids develop both self-expression and a passion for art,” Jill said. “Beyond that, I want them to gain confidence in their abilities, learn teamwork through collaborative projects, and foster a sense of pride in their community through their artistic contributions.”


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